Fallen Stars
by SilverSentinal21
Summary: Two Races both alike in fear, hate, and a fight for survival are set on a collision course. The only hope is in the sons and daughters willing to fight for both.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay, just as a warning I will be following some of the plans of what would have been the season 2, but I categorically disagree with most of the proposals. First, if you don't mess the Bard up so badly as to break up Romeo and Juliet, it's not going to happen... Second, you shouldn't bring an inter-species pregnancy only to drop it, bad writing. Finally, should Tybalt-Count Paris live? I haven't decided.

* * *

Watching the flames creep ever closer to the pool of gasoline flooding around her car, Taylor's terror evaporated like mist. She had to save herself, and the child growing inside of her. Gloria's development, the love she had for her child's father, (yes, she could admit it was love now), filled her with the will to escape her fiery death trap. "Okay, my baby, it's time to give mommy all the Atrian strength that your daddy has," she murmured.

The first thing she had to do to get free meant dealing with her seatbelt. She closed her eyes and filled her mind with every moment of seeing and feeling Drake's incredible strength. She pictured his glowing pride as he told her that all the women of his tribe gained amazing strength carrying their children. With complete faith that she could be as strong as any Atrian woman, she ripped off the seatbelt and twisted herself to her shattered window. Adrenaline surged through her veins mixed with the Atrian hormones provided by her baby. She used it to force herself through the window and onto her feet. She ran as fast as she could and dove behind a dumpster just as her car exploded into a fireball.

Back at the Sector, Teri forced herself to remain in control of her emotions. Her mother, she knew, never ever bluffed. If she said her father lived, her father lived. If her mother said that she had only temporarily saved Roman and his followers, she meant it. Suddenly, she felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder. "You did the right thing, Teri." Gloria's soothing voice filled her ears.

"Is it possible to feel like you've lost everything and nothing all at once?" the girl asked in a soft dead-tone.

"I'm afraid it is," Gloria sighed. "Teri, I will do everything in my power to make sure your actions count for the best. I know you've got very little reason to see humans as anything other than vicious savages. I have never blamed you for that, however you have a choice to make. You can run to Elgida, try to live down the choices you've made without a chance to change things for the better. You can stay entrenched in your anger and bitterness, and waste the precious gifts you have, possibly throwing your life away. Whatever you choose, you should know that Nox believed in you. That's why he fought so hard to make you a part of the integration program. I believe in you as well, and I don't want to see you fail yourself."

"Fail myself?" Teri spat. "I don't know what I am supposed to be anymore! I betrayed my people's fight for freedom, I sent my own mother to the crate! I hate you, and all the humans who created this mess to begin with," she shouted. "Why did you have to fire on us when are ship crashed? Why did you have to cage us like animals? Do you think we _wanted_ to crash here? I wish the entire ship had blown up and annihilated us all!"

The pain etched in the young woman's face caused Gloria to wrap her in a tight embrace. "I know, Teri, I know. I wish I could find the man who fired that first shot and kill him in the worst possible way humanity has devised. Teri, I want to tell you something no Atrian in the Sector knows… my son is half Atrian," she choked out. "I want my son to be free, I want _you_ to be free! I want every Atrian man, woman, and child to be completely free! I will fight until my last drop of blood is drained, until my last breath is ripped from my lungs, I will fight until the very last neuron in my brain fires. I will fight to make you free!"

Teri pulled away from the human pushing her hard. "How could you have a half-Atrian son? Who of our kind would have mated with you? Drake I understand, because the human he chose is someone who approaches life as an odd form of combat, and I'm willing to bet she approaches sex the same way. Roman loves— her," she hissed as if the words were acid on her tongue, "because, she's his ideal. She's everything he believes in. He loves her because of what made her hold my hand as I saved him from the deathblow Caster inflicted on him. She knows I want him more than my freedom, she knows I've tried to destroy her, and tried to take him from her. She still held my hand, and she would help me in any way she could if she thought I needed it. You," she snarled, "have only referred to us as a project, your investments. Hell, we're no better than lab rats to you! Now, you tell me your son is half-Atrian! What, did you need to know that humans and Atrians could mix so you can use that to 'integrate' us?"

Gloria went blind with rage and slapped the girl across the face as hard as she could. "Don't you ever, ever, talk that way about my son!" she roared. "I never intended to fall in love with his father, but my son was conceived only in love! I let him go to Elgida, a place I can never go, to keep him safe and free! He is not my experiment, he is the living embodiment of the only love I will ever know. I don't fight because of my son, I fight FOR him!"

Teri stood stunned by the human's blow, and the raw anguish in her voice. Her mother had taught her to use her vision to see the heartrates of others to test their honesty. She didn't want Gloria to be telling her the truth. She had clung to her hatred for so long, as a remedy for the helplessness and despair that permeated her soul. Not only due to the humans, but due to her mother's indifference and manipulations, and the futility of her life. She needed this woman to be lying, and yet she could not deny her own senses. She wiped the drop of blood at the corner of her lip, and grinned. "I need to reevaluate my impression of the human race as physically weak and pathetic," she chuckled.

Gloria's deep coco eyes filled with tears, seeing the scarlet smear on the girl's chin. "You need to reevaluate many things, Teri."

Teri nodded. "The first thing I need to reevaluate is what it means to be an Atrian, and a member of my own tribe. With my mother in the crate, I am supposed to lead them, but I do not know my own convictions anymore. I cannot lead them, until I can lead myself. I will speak to the Elders, and to Roman for he will be named Iksen very soon. If they permit me, I will stay in Elgida, without the influence of Trags and humans. Until I can come to terms with who I wish to become as an Atrian, I cannot choose a side in this war."

Gloria slowly approached her and hesitantly raised her hand to check the damage she'd impulsively inflicted on the girl's exquisite face. "Forgive me, Teri, I shouldn't have done that."

"I've lost count of how many humans I've assaulted, and you never sent me to the crate," she shrugged. "I deserved it, and we're even. I can't even say you didn't use your words."

Before Gloria could reply, the shockwave hit, and after that… Chaos reigned!

* * *

 _One week after the Suvek… Seven days and seven nights: heat, pain, and nothingness. On and on it went, thoughts gone, emotions gone, endless nothingness…_

"Daddy, you have to help them! They're innocent and you _know_ it. They've done everything possible to protect both humans and Atrians they do not deserve to be locked in the crate!" Emery screamed at her father.

"I am not the government, Emery! No matter what I think or how I feel about the Atrians or you, warships are coming to Earth. The Atrians who are coming have superior technology and can destroy us. The Atrians on earth are the only leverage we have for any hope of survival. This isn't about me, or the Red Hawks, this is about the government of earth. If we do anything to support the Atrians we will disappear." Ray answered his daughter not able to disguise his own anguish.

"Emery is it worth it?" her mother asked. "That Atrian warships could destroy us all, don't you care about that?"

"Of course, I care! Despite what you may think I care about my people just as much as Roman cares for his. Look at our history endless wars, the genocides, the war crimes… Every era we scream that it will be ended, and it never is! Now _my_ people are fast committing another genocide and for what? The Atrians who are coming will still kill us all for what we've done. The only hope for us is to oppose what's going on and help the Atrians." Emery pleaded.

"We can't overthrow an entire government, sweetheart." Ray retorted.

"Why not?' Emery demanded. "According to the Constitution it's not only our right but responsibility."

"Emery!" her mother cried out in horror.

"NO! I will not sit back and do nothing while two races are destroyed because of hatred and stupidity." Emery declared. "I know what you're thinking: I'm sixteen, sheltered, and letting my hormones take over my brain. It's not true. I lived almost my entire life with the shadow of death over me. I know what's most important in life and I am no child. Atrians can never attain humanity, nor should they be forced to try. However, I will be damned if I watch my people lose any claim to it."

"Ray," Michelle gasped, trembling in terror. "Reason with her, she can't know what she's saying!"

Ray sighed, the weariness of the situation etched into his body. "She's right, Michelle. Things are escalating fast, not only are Roman, his entire family, and the 7, in the crate, but the guards are being encouraged to crack down even harder. Just yesterday I had to stop two new guards from beating two children in the market. There's been talk of summery execution of suspected Trags and throwing every relative in the crate regardless of age or guilt. Michelle, the sector is turning into a concentration camp. All that's missing is the gas chambers and the ovens."

"But what can we do?" Michelle cried out as tears fell down her face. "We're just ordinary people, we…" she broke down in a flood of tears.

"First, we need to find Gloria," Emery answered, pulling her parents into her embrace.

"I can do that." Ray assured. "When are you going with your friends to the hospital?"

"I leave in an hour."

"Be careful please, Emery." Her mother begged.


	2. A Begining to Unity

_Elgida_

Saroya wiped away her tears of rage and helplessness. "I should have never built the _suvek_. In saving my son for a moment I destroyed his life forever."

"You did what you had to do, child. There is nothing more important than family to a true Atrian. Do not live in the past, what has happened is done. Now, we must move forward to prevent a war that will destroy two peoples." Jesytur softly commanded.

"How? If we leave here the humans will treat us worse than the Trags. Our ships are coming, and they are not going to stop their attack. Vega planned everything so well, the only hope we had to stop this madness is Nox as _Iksen._ " Saroya snapped.

"No." Jesytur retorted. "Our hope lies in our children. Nox's sons and his daughter, your son, and the allies they have made. Only by working together in _sutuziv_ , will we all be free. You, child, are the pride of your generation. The mother of a new champion of the _Vwasak_ , whose child will be a warrior for all. Where has your faith gone?"

"I couldn't stop Castor from crashing the ship, I couldn't stop him from throwing me in the crate, I couldn't raise my son, and I couldn't resist Vega. My faith in myself is dead." Saroya whispered.

"Then you must revive it, Saroya. You owe it to your son, his bloodline, your people, and most of all yourself." Jesytur answered, embracing her.

"Where do I begin?" Saroya asked, wiping a lone tear from her cheek.

A wry smile broke out on the aged man's face, "At the beginning of course, my child."

Her whole face brightened as she dove into the warm waters of the bayou. After all, the beginning for all life is water. First, she would build up her body's strength, then work on the rest.

Jesytur turned to return to their little village, the time had come for the missing to rejoin their own. Nox's death would not be in vain. This world, while not the one the Atrians hoped for, if handled properly could become a better place for both humans and Atirans. He could only hope that the true _Iksen_ would realize that he need not abandon one vow to fulfill his duty to be father to all Atrians. "Leontes!" the older man cried out. "What are you doing out here?"

The usually charming and lively son of Gloria Garcia and Nox, kicked a pebble and sighed. "I miss my mommy and gran, Jesytur, it hurts inside my chest."

"This is normal Leontes, I know they miss you as well. However, if they were with you it would be very dangerous for all your family. There are very evil people, who will harm you because of what you are," he took the boy in his arms and began carrying him.

"But why?' Leontes asked, his voice thick with sniffles and tears. "I try to be a good boy. Do they think I'm bad? Does my brother not like me? Is that why Atrians don't like me?"

Jesytur gently rubbed his charge's back to sooth and calm him. How he wished Nox still lived. While he loved and respected his late protégée, his secrecy regarding Leontes and Gloria would leave lasting scars on all involved. Reaching his small cabin, he set Leontes down on his cot and brought out a snack of white-chocolate buttons. "I want you to listen very carefully right now, Leontes," he softly commanded. He smiled when Leontes' warm soil colored eyes met his. "There are Atrians who hate humans because they hurt us, and there are humans who hate anything they fear." Fear is natural, and anger is natural. Without fear people take bad risks. Without anger, there is no reason to stop bad things and do good. Hate is also good in its place. If you hate what is bad it makes you want to do good. However, hating people, Atrian or human leads only to bad things. The people who hate, want to destroy special little boys like you, and your family. That is why you must remain here. Your brother Roman and your sister Sofia, have only good in their hearts, but they never knew about you or your mother. When we're free you will be with all of them I promise."

Leontes yawned, his eyes heavy with sleep. "I want to help," he mumbled.

Jesytur tucked the small boy up in a quilt. "You help just being you, my little man. Sleep now, swimming later."

As the innocent child drifted into a happy world of dreams the old man felt failure settling around him like a fog. _'I promised his mother he'd have all he needs, but I lied. Every child needs its mother,'_ he thought.

"Such heavy worries will not aid our quest, Jesytur," a beautiful soft whisper reminded.

Turning, he faced an older woman of exquisite beauty. With gleaming white hair falling past her hips like silk, deep violet eyes, a high forehead and cheekbones, all served to give her an air of youth despite the fine whispers of lines around her eyes and mouth. Her markings, of cool lavender-grey stood out in stark relief against her pearly skin. "Greetings, Theasia," he murmured.

Theasia stood lithe, tall, and proud like a goddess of ancient human legend. She bade Jesytur to follow her with a wave of her hand. As they stepped outside his cabin, a tall young man with white hair and golden eyes bowed his head respectfully to Jesytur. "My grandson will look after Leontes while we speak, old friend," Theasia stated with a smile. The young man smiled and entered the cabin, closing the door behind him. Theasia headed to the south and Jesytur followed.

As the pair traversed the paths and bridges that made up the settlement of Elgida they acknowledged the greetings of their fellow Atrians while not slowing their pace. People went about their work: building cabins, tending vegetable patches, fishing, and weaving cloth. Inside the cabins engineers and craftsmen worked tirelessly crafting technology from gathered and scavenged resources; fashioning the devices needed to conceal themselves and developing non-lethal weapons to protect themselves. Many sang as they went about their tasks, some sad songs for their separation from loved ones, some hopeful songs of reunion.

After walking three miles outside the main village a colossal building of glass and steel appeared out of thin air. "The cloaking device is still working?' Jesytur questioned with some surprise. "I had thought our power supplies were too low."

"My grandson Hero is much more than just a genius with our herbs," Theasia chuckled. "He may speak very little, but his ideas are never ending. Come, there is much to discuss."

Entering the building Jesytur paused momentarily to take in the trillions of plants. Some as small as a fingertip, others as large as the great redwoods of earth. The majority came from Atria, but others came from other worlds along the search for a new home, and still others were native to earth. The cacophony of colors, scents, and textures left anyone privileged to enter awed. "You've accomplished incredible things, Theasia."

A shadow passed over her ethereal face. Through my shortsightedness our people are close to extinction, and billions of innocent humans are at risk. The time of our rebuilding is over. Our priority must be finding the Iksen, his followers, and the Daughter of Iwabas!"

"Theasia, _you_ are Daughter of Iwabas," Jesytur replied, his brow creasing in confusion.

The soft musical voice of Theasia turned hard as diamonds and cut like steel. "Son of Zwahan, we could live another decade or die tomorrow, it is time to train our successors."

The hairs on Jesytur's body stood straight up. "Have the others agreed?"

Theaisa waved away his concerns. "We are not the Hwatab, there is no need for agreement. The children of Vwasak and Swamad have time that we do not."

"For any of us to leave Elgida now is almost suicide, and we have no way of knowing where our Iksen is," Jesytur reminded.

"We now have ways to move unseen by the humans," Theasia announced. "We will start with the Iksen's chosen, the human girl Emery. Without her all is lost."

"What of Gloria?" Jesytur demanded.

Theasia smiled softly and reached out to pluck a blossom. Crushing it in her smooth palm a mist of soothing perfume filled the air. "Leontes' mother has her role, and they will be reunited when that time comes. Gloria and Leontes were the beginning. Our age is ending, the time has come to usher in the new."

Jesytur paced inhaling the mist to center his racing thoughts. "No Iksen has ever been Child of Zawhan. To place that amount of power in the hands of one person, even Roman, is dangerous. Surely Sophia should inherit," he argued.

"You would destroy that girl's sweet spirit and innocence out of fear?" Theasia accused. "Her role is that of mother of Atrians, to interfere would destroy her."

"It is too much to ask of one man!" Jesytur cried. "The boy has already been through more than men three times his age. Expecting him to live with more is cruel."

"He will not bear his burdens alone, Jesytur. Do you truly believe I would recommend this if I didn't believe our people's survival depended on it? Without we must train them before we die, and the new leadership must be stable. He must bear both burdens or our enemy will destroy the humans and plunge Atrians back into the blood times. We will not survive a civil war, it must be stopped before a weapon is fired," she insisted.

"You know there are few people that I respect more than you, Theasia, however, not even you have the right to tell me who to pick as my successor," Jesytur rasped.

"Quite true, old friend," Theasia acknowledged. "However, do not let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. I understand your affection for Nox's family, I share it. However, the survival of our people must be our first priority, and our only chance is to convince the humans we will stop this attack. To do that, we need our successors now."


End file.
